IEEE sometimes may not be the most efficient process to create standards but is the most technically sound organization to create 50/200 GbE, this activity need to be driven within IEEE with time urgency to neutralize potential MSAs that later on we have to deal with it in IEEE.

We should not look at the 25 GbE project as an isolated after thought Cu DAC only interface, but rather the foundation for 50 GbE. If 25 GbE implementation is optimum and compatible then we can just up bit rate by 2 to get to 50 GbE.

I would like to request clarification of your stated intent below. You state the CFI will focus on single lane 50Gb/s Ethernet. While I realize you are initiating this effort – in my opinion the discussion that I am seeing happen is essentially “n” by 50Gb/s per lane with 50GbE and 200GbE being discussed.

As this is a consensus building process, will you be allowing interested parties to bring presentations forward to state justification for why 200GbE should also be considered? Based on my conversations, I believe there are a number of individuals who would like these topics discussed together.

Could you also provide any more insight into what you are proposing for single lane 50GbE? Will this be like the .3by project – Backplane, Cu Twin-as, and MMF? Or is that a TBD in your mind that you hope to address during consensus building?

I wanted to let everyone know that a number of people have started preliminary discussions that would lead towards having a Call-for-Interest on the topic of single lane 50 Gigabit/s Ethernet at a future plenary meeting of 802.3. If anyone is interested in helping and contributing, please let me know or talk to me In Pittsburgh. As we get further along, we will be sharing some of the plans and data we are gathering to support the CFI.